8:47 am, June 13, 2025
Northern Ireland-based Donnelly Group saw a small dip in pre-tax profit last year, despite turnover jumping.
Newly published accounts, filed under Donnelly Bros. Garages (Dungannon) Limited, show that for the year ended December 31, 2024, the business saw turnover rise from £283.63m in 2023 to £330.41m last year.
Pre-tax profit dipped slightly for the Car Dealer Top 100-ranked firm, however, falling from £5.02m in 2023 to £4.85m, with profit after tax sat at £3.59m, down from the £3.76m achieved the year before. Profit before tax margin stood at 1.47% compared to 2023’s 1.77%.
New vehicle sales increased by 22%, while sales of used cars rose by 6%. Aftersales sold hours increased by 4,575.
Meanwhile, directors’ emoluments came to £677,143, up from £558,003, while the highest-paid director saw a small rise from their £199,170 salary in 2023 to £200,037.
An interim dividend was not paid out and directors did not recommend a final dividend, either, while charitable donations came to £4,350.
In the report, directors said that 2025 will see a ‘significant expansion’ of the firm’s partnership with the Volkswagen Group, which will see the addition of Volkswagen, Skoda and Cupra to its Dungannon site after a £7m investment.
Also, VW and Skoda will open in Ballymena, giving Donnelly Group responsibility for all VW Group brands outside of Belfast.
Referring to the 2024 financial performance, directors said they are ‘happy’, adding: ‘At the date of this report, the directors are confident that the company and its subsidiaries can continue to demonstrate their resilience.
‘Profitability in the first four months of 2025 is in line with group expectations and the directors are confidence that profit expectations will be comparable with FY25 budgets.’
